Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Copadichromis: Greek, kopas, -ados = carved + Chromis, see; atripinnis: Named for the solid black pigmentation of the pelvic fin..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic; depth range 12 - 25 m (Ref. 42940). Tropical
Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi, occurring along the rocky shores of Nankumba Peninsula and along those shores between the Masinje River and Gome Village.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 42940)
Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10. Diagnosis: 3 lateral spots on the body (Ref. 57549). Supra-pectoral spot about 1-1.5 times the supra-anal spot (Ref. 57549) and overlapping upper lateral line (Ref. 42940). Supra-anal spot present (Ref. 42940, 57549). Spots in the rayed portion of dorsal fin yellow; anal fin black (Ref. 42940). Breeding males with wide yellow marginal band in anal fin (Ref. 42940, 57549), blue breast and a narrow black submarginal band in the dorsal fin (Ref. 57549). Caudal fin membrane yellow, in breeding males with broad bands; pectoral fin completely black; dorsal fin base length 56.3-62.45% SL; 14-20 gill rakers on the ceratobranchial (Ref. 42940).
Inhabits the sand/rock interface; territorial males construct bowers on sand slopes near rocky areas with distances between bowers approximately 2-7m; females gather in large schools, sometimes numbering more than a hundred individuals; foraging schools are about 2-3m off the bottom and feed on plankton in the water column and on benthic invertebrates; mouthbrooding females are found close to the bottom (Ref. 57549).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Builds bowers on a sand slope near rocky area at depth of 16-25 m. Bowers are circular or oval in shape with slight depression on the center and a surrounding sand mound. These contain a stone usually at the deeper margin of the sand mound. The depression is usually deepest near the stone and spawning takes place at this deepest part.
Stauffer, J.R. Jr. and T. Sato, 2002. A new species of Copadichromis (Cichlidae) from Thumbi West Island, Lake Malawi. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 13(1):91-95. (Ref. 42940)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01514 (0.00700 - 0.03275), b=2.97 (2.80 - 3.14), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).